An RFID tag manufacturing system is provided that includes a conveyance device that conveys a base sheet provided with a plurality of antenna patterns to each of which an RFIC module is fixed. The system includes a laminating device that attaches a cover seal on the base sheet to cover the antenna patterns and a punching device that produces RFID tags by punching the cover seal and the base sheet with a punching blade that includes a frame-shaped cutting edge surrounding the antenna patterns to form a frame-shaped cut. The base sheet includes alignment mark in a non-attachment part of the cover seal. The punching device specifies the position of each of the antenna patterns covered with the cover seal based on the alignment mark, and punches the cover seal and the base sheet based on the specified position of the antenna pattern.

A liner in a label-liner combination is provided with a die cut portion made in the liner. The die cut portion is aligned with at least one edge in a label and a front side of the liner is attached to a backside of the label. The die cut portion of the liner is adapted to be removed from the liner when the label is removed from the label-liner combination. Dimensions, and orientation, and a location of the die cut portion in the liner are adapted to allow the label to be removed from the label-liner combination and applied to a surface by digits of a hand without touching an adhesive coating on the backside of the label and adapted to maintain proper printer waste liner spool operations when the liner is wound after application of the label.

A die cutting method that cuts patterns in a label is provided. According an embodiment, a method adjusts temperature of a label sheet comprising a laminated layer and a liner layer. The method further separates the laminated layer from the liner layer prior to making the cuts on the laminated layer. The method further cuts one or more patterns on the laminated layer. The method further re-attaches, the laminated layer to the liner layer.

A method of reducing label waste that employs a stand-alone or printer attached apparatus for cleanly and efficiently cutting a web of media or tag stock into individual units. The apparatus used by the method may cut vinyl, plastic, or RFID stock material in both back and forth directions without sacrificing cut quality, and preferably comprises a housing, a carriage assembly and a movable cutter assembly. The cutter assembly comprises a cutting element such as a wheel blade, and a pressure adjusting element for adjusting the amount of pressure applied by the cutting element to the stock material. Alternatively, the cutter assembly may be manufactured with a predetermined pressure load, but still permit an operator to adjust the depth of cut. The method involves using the cutting apparatus to make a series of cuts as the label material is incrementally advanced through the cutting apparatus.

A method of making a pad of labels comprises: printing display information on a top surface of a substrate; affixing a first layer of lamination material to a bottom surface of the substrate; affixing a second layer of lamination material to the top surface of the substrate, the second layer of lamination material having a release coating applied to a top surface thereof; applying an adhesive strip to a bottom surface of the first layer of lamination material, the adhesive strip being covered by a liner material; cutting the substrate having first and second layers of lamination material affixed into at least one label; removing the liner material to expose the adhesive strip after cutting the substrate into at least one label; and arranging the labels into a pad of labels.

Apparatuses and embodiments related to compensated laser cutting of labels. A computer system receives an image of a label, and rasterizes the image. The computer system determines how much of each type of printer ink of a label printer to deposit at each pixel location of the image. The computer system determines which pixels intersect a cut line, and determines the characteristics of the ink of the pixels, such as the quantity or thickness of the ink at the pixel locations. The computer system determines laser data including power, cut speed, and/or frequency of a laser that is tuned to accurately cut through the ink that forms the image, the material(s) of the label, and the adhesive that removably adheres the label to base material(s), but to not excessively damage the base material(s). A laser cutting system uses the laser data to control a laser.

A stand-alone apparatus for cutting a web of media or tag stock into individual units for use downstream of a printer. The apparatus may cut vinyl, plastic, or RFID stock material in both back and forth directions. The apparatus comprises a housing, a carriage assembly and a movable cutter assembly. The cutter assembly is easily interchangeable and comprises a cutting element such as a wheel blade, and a pressure adjusting element for adjusting the amount of pressure applied by the cutting element to the stock material. Alternatively, the cutter assembly may be manufactured with a predetermined pressure load, but still permit an operator to adjust the depth of cut. The apparatus may be powered by and or in hardline or wireless communication with a printer, or may further comprise a computer microprocessor, memory and user interface to function wholly independent from a printer.

A label manufacturing method includes: a cladding material manufacturing step, including: manufacturing adhesive, a release film including a base material and a surface material, and a transparent film into a cladding material, wherein a first side of the cladding material includes the base material of the release film, the transparent film, and the surface material of the release film, and a second side of the cladding material includes the adhesive and the surface material of the release film, and the first side and the second side are two sides of the cladding material which are side by side; and, a label die cutting step, including die cutting the transparent film and the base material of the release film at the first side of the cladding material into a first label unit, and die cutting the adhesive at the second side of the cladding material into a second label unit.

A label web including a substrate is provided. The label web includes a first label removably affixed to a first side of the substrate. The first label is fabricated from a first material. A second label is removably affixed to the first side of the substrate adjacent to the first label in a side-by-side relationship. The second label is fabricated from a second material which differs from the first material. The first labels may be utilized to print desired information thereon and the second labels may fabricated from a transparent, protective material coating which may positioned on the first labels to discourage damage to the first labels from exposure to water or handling when the first labels are affixed to corresponding products.

A process for cutting column and row gutters on multilayer signage media into individualized signage cards includes placing pre-die-cut slits at predetermined locations within the column gutters to assist a cutter in cutting completely through the multilayer signage media.